Consumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumerism - Essay Example Part of the problem is the â€Å"image† that we are expected to portray. Most people subscribe to the theory, â€Å"if everyone else is buying it, then I want that too.† If one of your friends went out and bought a new Ferrari, even though he already owned four cars, then you would inevitably feel envy towards him. Society would demand that you went and did exactly the same thing because you cannot look â€Å"out of place.† Broken down, consumerism basically is correlated with social standing. If you are of a certain social class, then specific lifestyle choices are expected of you. Take for instance our neighborhood friend who is making not much more than the minimum wage. She is a teenager so there are always expectations that she is cool enough for her peers. Peer pressure plays an enormous part in consumer spending. Our teenage neighbor makes only $8 per hour, which is barely enough to survive; yet she is spending hundreds of dollars on Gucci shoes and Prada bags. We must ask ourselves why she feels the need to be extravagant when she can’t afford it. The reason for this is twofold: (1) she has to uphold an acceptable image to her peers and (2) she is constantly being bombarded with advertising telling her that her life would be incomplete without a certain product. Advertisers generally use famous people to help promote their products because the regular consumer looks up to them as a role model. Our neighborhood friend is no different from the rest of us—she feels pressured to live a lifestyle that is perceived bring happiness in our lives. The problem with consumerism is that it increases the gap between the rich and the poor. According to the World Bank, the richest 10% of people on earth account for over half the total consumption. On the other hand, the poorest 10% only contribute less than 1% towards the global total. Consumerism is contributing to the breakdown of societies as

Bruce Dawe Poem Analysis Essay Example for Free

Bruce Dawe Poem Analysis Essay Decode the question: How has the composer represented the concept of heroism in the film Gladiator? Make specific reference to two key scenes in the film. You MUST NOT choose scenes which have been analysed already in the course work (i.e. scenes I-III, XI-XIII, and XXVI). Write approximately 1000 words. Select Two key scenes: XXXI -Maximus has defeated the greatest gladiator ever to fight XLVI The Final Battle Create a mind map Organise ideas, texts references: Summary, presentation of Heroic concept, references to 2 keyed scenes with quotes notes Draft Do the draft as needed above Edit draft Edit as necessary Submit draft in Final written essay The Essay: Maximus was a powerful Roman General (strong belief, inner strength never dies, stood up for his belief no matter the consequences), loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, known in history as the final of the Five Good Emperors. Before his death, the Emperor chose Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus in an attempt to allow Rome to once more become a Republic. Then a power struggle left Maximus and his family condemned to death. The powerful General was unable to save his family, and his loss let him captured and put into slavery and trained as a Gladiator  by Proximo until he died. The only desire that fueled him at the time was the chance to rise to the top so that he would be able to look into the eyes of the man who would feel his revenge and fulfill the dying wish of his emperor. The time came when Proximos troupe was called to Rome to participate in a marathon of gladiator games held at the behest of the new emperor, Commodus. Once in Rome, Maximus wasted no time in making his presence known, and was soon involved in a plot to overthrow the emperor with his former-love Lucilla, Commodus sister, after whom he lusted, and also the widowed mother of Lucius, heir to the empire after his uncle, and democratic-minded senator, Gracchus was reinstated for Rome to republic. The composer has set up the representation of the heroism concept (50-60%) throughout the Gladiator film, from the opening scene, when the Hero leaves his pleasant vision (his wife and child) to return to the Germania battle field and to: face the 1st execution 1st fight as a gladiator release his name fight against the greatest warrior face Commodus fight in the Final battle As the opening scene and the above listed 3 scenes where the heroic concept has been discussed in the course work, the responder can also find the concept of heroism in the fight against the greatest gladiator and in the Final battle. The fight against the greatest gladiator Tigris turns to Caesars box, with swords crossed, he bows, We who are about to die salute you. Maximus stands by, showing no salute whatsoever. As Maximus gets ready to fight the large doors to the arena are thrown open, surprising Maximus. From each door emerges a team of men, who run into the arena. Each team picks up a chain from the sand. Maximus becomes distracted and Tigris kicks sand into Maximus face and begins the fight. As the fight continues and as Maximus is thrown to the ground, a trap door opens and out jumps a large tiger, pouncing at the fighting gladiators. Maximus is now  having to escape the claws of the tigers as he battles Tigris. In the background can be heard loose, loose, loose and pull, pull, pull as the handlers coordinate their efforts in handling each of the tigers that are now on the arena floor growling and charging at Maximus.] [Maximus manages to disarm Tigris, switching his sword from one hand to the other, Maximus stands ready to finish off Tigris. Suddenly, a fourth tiger jumps out of a trap door and jumps at Maximus. In that split second, Maximus turns and the tiger is speared with his sword. Maximus is thrown to the sand as the large beast lays atop him. Maximus stabs the beast repeatedly, killing it. The crowds cheer wildly. Tigris moves in for an attack. Maximus, on his back with the beast still on him, manages to grab Tigris own hatchet and with great force spikes him in the foot. Tigris bends over in pain, blood pouring from the opening of his mask. Maximus stands and kicks Tigris over to the ground. He is finished. The Final battle The trap door to the arena opens as the lift rises, encircled with the Praetorian as they stand behind their black shields. In the middle, the white clad Commodus, gazing upwardly, basking in the sun and the wounded, dying Maximus stand. All the while, Quintus staring at Maximus. As they reach the arena, the Praetorian take their place at the perimeter of the arena. Maximus stumbles to the center, slowly stooping to pick up a handful of sand, with a watchful eye on Quintus. Maximus rubs the sand in his hands and reaches for his sword but Quintus tosses it aside, and out of reach. Maximus painfully moves to where the sword has been tossed and picks it up, immediately swinging at Commodus. The two do battle. Maximus roars as he attacks Commodus. Commodus manages to cut Maximus leg. Although wounded, Maximus cuts Commodus arm causing him to drop his sword.] [Maximus begins to drift into the after-life and as he sees the gate to his home, the sword drops from his hand. Meanwhile, Commodus is calling Quintus for his sword but Quintus does not comply. Commodus then turns to the Praetorian, calling out sword. The guards begin to pull their swords when Quintus quickly tells them to sheath your swords and they quickly comply. As Commodus reaches for his hidden dagger, Maximus quickly returns to this life and, unarmed but for his strength and determination, does battle with Commodus, turning Commodus knife against him. Commodus tries relentlessly to fight  Maximus off but Maximus slowly plunges the knife into Commodus throat, further and further until it can go no further. Commodus falls to the ground. The fight over, Maximus begins to drift as he reaches out his bloodied hand, to push open the gate that leads to his home. Peace, once again, overcomes Maximus when Qu intus calls to him. Maximus, Maximus. Maximus regains consciousness.] To bring to life ancient Rome, director Ridley Scott employed great period costumes, chariots and horses, lots of dark-haired actors and actresses, and an amazing looking coliseum in the time period set in the movie. The musical score was possibly the best feature of this film, as the music is haunting and perfectly punctuates the dramatic action in soft, then ever-increasing tempos. It was a real trick to make music that would accentuate the flavor of this historical piece, and not distract it. The film used a very potent combination of long shots and close-ups to heighten the drama and yet propel responder into the immensity of the situation: the overwhelming doom that seems to be around any and every corner in Rome. For instance, at this scene where Maximus has defeated the greatest gladiator ever to fight, in a long, drawn-out battle. The bested warrior lies fallen at Maximus’ feet, awaiting his demise. The crowd chants Kill, Kill, Kill! The long shot shows Emperor Commodu s watching Maximus, and in the shot, the emperor is shown in the foreground, and Maximus appears small in the background. In this way the responder get a sense of the power that Commodus holds over Maximus. Now a medium-long shot of the crowd to get a sense of how many people are chanting for the vanquished opponent’s death; they all appear in unison, willfully they crave blood. Next a close-up of the emperor as he dramatically steps forward, arm extended. If he gives a thumbs up, the opponent should live. If he gives a thumbs-down, the opponent should be killed. His arm hangs outward and all eyes in the coliseum fall upon his hand. He gives the thumbs-down, and the crowd goes wild with roars of approval. Finally, a close-up of Maximus as he throws down his own sword in complete defiance to the emperor and to the people. The skillful editing helps contrast the morals Maximus and Commodus possess: Commodus is ruthless and political, Maximus does only what he has to, no more no less, and he is a man of his own conviction. This scene helps responder to understand why earlier the dying emperor Marcus Aurelius wanted Maximus to succeed him, he knew Maximus would do the right thing and not be  swayed easily by popular opinion. A leader must lead, not follow. Whenever the composer wanted the responder to get a sense of the size of this coliseum, he employed the cinematographer to use long range shots. When he wanted responder to get a sense of the hustle and bustle of Rome, a hand-held camera was used. The Final battle: The composer used a number of different techniques during the filming of the Final battle, including muted, washed out colors in the Coliseum. The scene is bright and colour comes across perfectly, setting the mood for the scene of battle. The fighting is filmed replete with quick cuts and a frenetic filming process; its disorienting but not so much that we cant keep track of whos who and what each participant is doing in said battle. The fighting is realistic without zooming in on the gore, as the violence speaks for itself. The composer correctly makes the scenes exciting without the need for a barf bucket.. Combat is supposed to be jarring and disorienting and the filming process actually communicates this sense to the responder very well. The responderd have to agree, as the scenes outstanding in special effects. They are seeing the Coliseum when it is a new(100 years old) and its grand structure, as it would have been in ancient Rome. Stunts are well coordinated and real tigers were used in a particular fight scene, grabbing out just inches from Maximus and his opponent. He earned his act on those days of shooting. Sound The soundtrack with its haunting score, is very memorable its scope and theme. Sound track manages to take a main character theme and vary it depending on the action, making it subtle and sweet at times, brooding and depressing at others. Throughout the film, the same musical elements are applied, bring unity and depth to the story. Besides digital sound, Dolby 5.1 is also included on the same disc

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: essays research papers

BIRTH AND CREATION: One of the main issues in the novel, and also in Victor Frankenstein's mind. One of the reasons for creating his monster, Frankenstein was challenging nature's law of creation. That is, to create a being, male sperm and female egg must be united etc.. He was also fraught with the mystery of death and the life cycle. He created something in defiance of our understanding of birth and creation. However the similarity of Frankenstein's creation and a baby's creation is that both need to be held responsible for, and consequences dealt with, from the moment of birth. Frankenstein failed to do this with his creation. ?Whence did the principle of life proceed ?To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death? ?I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body? ALIENATION: Alienation is spoken of frequently throughout the novel. Felt by both Frankenstein and his creation. The monster is deserted by the very person who brought him into the world, thus leaving him completely and totally isolated. Frankenstein feels alienated, because he is burdened with the secret that he has let loose a monster on society and is the real reason for his loved ones deaths. He alienates himself because of his feelings of guilt, shame and hatred of himself for committing such a sin. The monster only realises his feelings of alienation after observing the cottagers for such a long time, comparing their lives to his own, extending his knowledge and then finally setting himself up for rejection when going in to the cottage, believing that they will accept him. Both eventually deal with their alienation by blaming the other and setting out to get revenge. ?All save I, were at rest or in enjoyment?, Monster (138) ?My protectors had departed, and had broken the only link that held me with the world?, Monster (140) ?I, the miserable, and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, kicked, and trampled on.? Monster (224) ?Noone can conceive the anguish I suffered?. Frankenstein (78) ?I shunned the face of man?, Frankenstein (93) ?I feel as if I was walking on the edge of a precipice, towards which thousands are crowding, endeavouring to plunge me into the abyss?. Frankenstein (96) THE MONSTROUS AND THE HUMAN: The only difference between the monster in this novel, and humans, is the appearance, although it is a great difference there are greater similarities; brain, way of thinking, emotions etc.

A Passage to India – Analysis

The novel and film ‘A Passage to India’ written by Forster and directed by Lean is about the Society of British people in India. Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested arrived in Chandrapore, India because Mrs. Moore’s son Ronny and Adela are recently engaged. However, when they arrived they sensed, and were quickly trapped in, a prejudiced British community which misuses the natives of India and abuses them throughout the whole novel and film. ‘A Passage to India’. The film is directed by Lean presents and emphasis meaning throughout the film. An example of presenting meaning is when it is the scene when you see Mrs. Moore standing up for ‘God save the Queen’ and you see her directing her view slowly towards the Ganges. Lean uses the glance to turn down the music, presumably at the time that Mrs. Moore’s attention is transferred to the magnificence of the river. As time goes by when she is viewing the Ganges, you hear ‘God save the Queen’s’ volume dimming, this represents silence when is just looking, during this time she is just reflecting on things which have recently happened which she thinks is wrong. Lean at times presents the moon, the night sky and the expanses of the Ganges. Few examples of where Mrs. Moore is shown with the moon, night sky and the expanses of the Ganges, the first example is when you see Mrs. Moore entering the Moslim mosque which Dr. Aziz was there reflecting and Mrs. Moore for the first time looks out to the Ganges with the night sky so close. An another scene is when Mrs. Moore and Adela are on the train and while the train is crossing the bridge the night sky and expanses of the Ganges are shown. Another scene is when Mrs. Moore is on the ship leaving Chandrapore and she is seen by the deck reflecting on the recent things, the night sky is shown and the expanses, She finally dies after suffering from her heart condition. Lean presents a scene at the club when they were playing English songs such as, ‘God save the Queen’, ‘Tea for two’ and more. From this we can say that Lean presents the Indians as serving, There is no real meaning because all that they are doing is taking time away from their own lives to perform what they don’t really understand. They are merely used to imprint the British culture is rendered with seeming pride and enthusiasm. Lean shows Mrs. Moore and Godbole as characters who technically do not talk with each other but they do recognize and appreciates each others time. A good example of a scene where Godbole and Mrs. Moore are communicating without words spoken is the scene where Mrs. Moore is on the train and leaving Chandrapore, Godbole walks out of his temple and does a hand sign in the rear darkness. Mrs. Moore responds in a wave that seems to deepen the silence to meaning. A Passage to India – Analysis The novel and film ‘A Passage to India’ written by Forster and directed by Lean is about the Society of British people in India. Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested arrived in Chandrapore, India because Mrs. Moore’s son Ronny and Adela are recently engaged. However, when they arrived they sensed, and were quickly trapped in, a prejudiced British community which misuses the natives of India and abuses them throughout the whole novel and film. ‘A Passage to India’. The film is directed by Lean presents and emphasis meaning throughout the film. An example of presenting meaning is when it is the scene when you see Mrs. Moore standing up for ‘God save the Queen’ and you see her directing her view slowly towards the Ganges. Lean uses the glance to turn down the music, presumably at the time that Mrs. Moore’s attention is transferred to the magnificence of the river. As time goes by when she is viewing the Ganges, you hear ‘God save the Queen’s’ volume dimming, this represents silence when is just looking, during this time she is just reflecting on things which have recently happened which she thinks is wrong. Lean at times presents the moon, the night sky and the expanses of the Ganges. Few examples of where Mrs. Moore is shown with the moon, night sky and the expanses of the Ganges, the first example is when you see Mrs. Moore entering the Moslim mosque which Dr. Aziz was there reflecting and Mrs. Moore for the first time looks out to the Ganges with the night sky so close. An another scene is when Mrs. Moore and Adela are on the train and while the train is crossing the bridge the night sky and expanses of the Ganges are shown. Another scene is when Mrs. Moore is on the ship leaving Chandrapore and she is seen by the deck reflecting on the recent things, the night sky is shown and the expanses, She finally dies after suffering from her heart condition. Lean presents a scene at the club when they were playing English songs such as, ‘God save the Queen’, ‘Tea for two’ and more. From this we can say that Lean presents the Indians as serving, There is no real meaning because all that they are doing is taking time away from their own lives to perform what they don’t really understand. They are merely used to imprint the British culture is rendered with seeming pride and enthusiasm. Lean shows Mrs. Moore and Godbole as characters who technically do not talk with each other but they do recognize and appreciates each others time. A good example of a scene where Godbole and Mrs. Moore are communicating without words spoken is the scene where Mrs. Moore is on the train and leaving Chandrapore, Godbole walks out of his temple and does a hand sign in the rear darkness. Mrs. Moore responds in a wave that seems to deepen the silence to meaning.

Asian Art Essay

Folk arts in Azerbaijan have a long and interesting history. Works of art made from metal extracted from Nakhichevan, Migachevir, Gadanay, Gandja and other places are approximately 5000 years old. Crockery, weapons and adornments found here are not historical facts alone, but valuable sources which testify the skills of the master. Different pictures, scraped on housing implements made from copper, bronze, gold and adornments, prove existence of fine art in Azerbaijan since ancient times. Carpets were made by several separate carpet-making schools of Azerbaijan (Guba, Baku, Shirvan, Gandja, Gazakh, Nagorny Karabakh, Tabriz) in different periods. Bhutanese art Bhutanese art is similar to the art of Tibet. Both are based upon Vajrayana Buddhism, with its pantheon of divine beings. The major orders of Buddhism in Bhutan are Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma. The former is a branch of the Kagyu School and is known for paintings documenting the lineage of Buddhist masters and the 70 Je Khenpo (leaders of the Bhutanese monastic establishment). The Nyingma order is known for images of Padmasambhava, who is credited with introducing Buddhism into Bhutan in the 7th century. According to legend, Padmasambhava hid sacred treasures for future Buddhist masters, especially Pema Lingpa, to find. The treasure finders (terton) are also frequent subjects of Nyingma art. Each divine being is assigned special shapes, colors, and/or identifying objects, such as lotus, conch-shell, thunderbolt, and begging bowl. All sacred images are made to exact specifications that have remained remarkably unchanged for centuries. Bhutanese art is particularly rich in bronzes of different kinds that are collectively known by the name Kham-so (made in Kham) even though they are made in Bhutan, because the technique of making them was originally imported from the eastern province of Tibet called Kham. Wall paintings and sculptures, in these regions, are formulated on the principal ageless ideals of Buddhist art forms. Even though their emphasis on detail is derived from Tibetan models, their origins can be discerned easily, despite the profusely embroidered garments and glittering ornaments with which these figures are lavishly covered. In the grotesque world of demons, the artists apparently had a greater freedom of action than when modeling images of divine beings. Buddhist art Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent following the historical life of Siddhartha Gautama, 6th to 5th century BC, and thereafter evolved by contact with other cultures as it spread throughout Asia and the world. Buddhist art followed believers as the dharma spread, adapted, and evolved in each new host country. It developed to the north through Central Asia and into Eastern Asia to form the Northern branch of Buddhist art, and to the east as far as Southeast Asia to form the Southern branch of Buddhist art. In India, Buddhist art flourished and even influenced the development of Hindu art, until Buddhism nearly disappeared in India around the 10th century due in part to the vigorous expansion of Islam alongside Hinduism. Burmese contemporary art Burma (Myanmar) is a country in Southeast Asia which has endured isolation for the last four decades. It is also a country with deep rooted Buddhist beliefs. The contemporary art scene in the country reflects these facts, and the art is often related to Buddhism and the difficult socio-political situation. In this age of globalization, Burmese contemporary art has developed rather on its own terms. Chinese Art Chinese art has varied throughout its ancient history, divided into periods by the ruling dynasties of China and changing technology. Great philosophers, teachers, religious figures and even political leaders have influenced different forms of art. Chinese art encompasses fine arts, folk arts and performance arts. Eastern Art Eastern art history is devoted to the arts of the Far East and includes a vast range of influences from various cultures and religions. The emphasis is on art history amongst many diverse cultures in Asia. Developments in Eastern art historically parallel those in Western art, in general a few centuries earlier. African art, Islamic art, Indian art, Chinese art, and Japanese art each had significant influence on Western art, and, vice-versa. Indian art Indian Art is the art produced on the Indian subcontinent from about the 3rd millennium BC to modern times. To viewers schooled in the Western tradition, Indian art may seem overly ornate and sensuous; appreciation of its refinement comes only gradually, as a rule. Voluptuous feeling is given unusually free expression in Indian culture. A strong sense of design is also characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern as well as in its traditional forms. Persian art The Iranian cultural region – consisting of the modern nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and surrounding regions – is home to one of the richest art heritages in world history and encompasses many disciplines including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stone masonry.

Analytical Essay Sample on Nike Workers #8220;We Are Not Machines#8221;

Analytical Essay Sample on Nike Workers #8220;We Are Not Machines#8221; Most people are familiar with the Nike logo. Most people also know that Nike is a multi-million dollar company that sells name brand shoes worldwide. Millions of pairs of Nike shoes are sold daily, but what people don’t know about Nike shoes is how and where they are made, who makes them, and how Nike spends its money in this process. According to the â€Å"Sweatshop Fact Sheet,† Tiger Woods is paid over fifty five thousand dollars a day to be their spokesman. Another famous person that is a spokesman for Nike is Michael Jordan. According to the article â€Å"Running Away With the Profits,† (Environmental Action, Academic Search Elite), Michael Jordan is paid twenty million dollars in endorsement fees. Big name sport teams advertise Nike to appeal to the common person. Indonesia is one of many countries around the world that is home to numerous Nike factories. Indonesia is a third world country of 214 million people. The main part of the economy is farmers, with half of these being the labor force. This happens to be an ideal country of choice for Nike to set up their factories for manufacturing their shoes. It allows Nike to take advantage of the local people. These people need to work in these factories to make a living, and they are stuck with the poor working conditions that Nike has provided. One way in which Nike is taking advantage of their workers is through long and hard work hours. According to the article: â€Å"We are not machines,† the Nike’s code of conduct states that the employees in their factories can only work sixty hours a week, and it’s mandatory to have one day off per seven days worked. The task force in the article went in and interviewed the workers at the Nike factory in early 2001 and found that workers’ weeks consisted of seventy hours and more. This depended on the seasonal orders that the workers were obligated to fill. The top worker was working 84 hours a week. When asked if this worker wanted to work this amount of hours, his reply was no. Another worker stated, â€Å"Although overtime is voluntary in my factory, it is forced by nature, since we cannot survive without it.† (â€Å"We are not machines† article) He has to work this amount of hours or he can’t afford anything for his family. Another thing that you might not know about Nike workers is the low pay they receive. The same report, â€Å"We are not machines,† also found that the average monthly range of pay was from $37 to $44. This averages out to 25 cents per hour. They are stuck working the long hours that Nike demands, or they loose their jobs. Nike says that they are meeting minimum wage standard, which is $2.28 per day, but the workers are working many more hours than required to earn this wage. They are not paying them for their overtime. It takes the average worker one hour of wages to be able to buy 1 kilogram of rice. The average farmer makes about a dollar a day, where the average factory worker makes about two dollars a day. Sure this is more money, but there is a catch 22. The catch 22 is that the factory worker puts in double plus hours each day, in poor working conditions, with no rights. They aren’t learning any basic skills for survival in their country, such as farming. Their ch ildren aren’t learning any basic skills either, because they send them away to live in another village with a relative. They basically can’t afford to provide day care while they work, nor the food to feed their children or themselves. The shoes that these workers are making cost Nike about five dollars per shoe, and on an average, they sell for one hundred dollars or more depending on the shoe. The Nike workers also have to go through the workday in unhealthy work conditions. The process of making shoes involves many chemicals, and if these chemicals aren’t properly managed, the worker’s health is at risk. Dara O’Rourke, a trained health and safety specialist, was allowed in to inspect the Nike factories in Indonesia. He found excessive noise and heat. Levels of toxic chemicals were still present, but reduced. He found misuse of equipment and poor tracking of worker illness. Because of this investigation, Nike went ahead and introduced water based chemicals, which reduced the level of toxic chemicals. When they interviewed some more workers after this, they found that they still had health issues that were unresolved. Another issue that these workers face is not having the right to form unions. According to the article, â€Å"We are not machines,† the workers not only fear for their jobs, but also for their lives, if they even talk about unions. There have been many cases in which workers have been threatened and fired. There was even a case where there was a murder attempt on a worker’s life related to the union. I think it’s pathetic that Nike, which is an American founded company, will not support union activities in their own factories. Many people would ask the question: why is Nike hardly concerned about the welfare of its workers? This can be easily answered by looking at the global economy. The global economy consisted of many companies using third world countries as their base for their factories that make their products. All these companies are backed by the WTO. According to the article: â€Å"Ten Arguments against the WTO,† the WTO is not concerned with where a company manufactures its products or the conditions that it takes place in. The reason that Nike gets away with having factories as such in Indonesia, is that they are backed by the a very powerful world organization, the WTO, thus allowing Nike to make huge profits. Now I am not saying that Nike is free to do what they want. They have been pressured by many independent organizations, which fight for the rights of the factory workers, and the types of conditions described in this article. Because of this, Nike has made some changes throughout t he years that benefit the workers, but it is still not enough. In conclusion, it seems that Nike is making a huge profit at the cost of human live and dignity. Instead of spending millions of dollars on their workers, who are the backbones of making the actual shoes, they are spending it on their advertisements to promote their company. I realize that advertisement is essential to the success of a product, but it should not be at the cost of another human being to make a profit. I know that Nike is just one of thousands of companies that have taken their labor overseas, so that the product can be made at a fraction of its cost. Unfortunately the public sees Nike as a company whose product is worn by the rich and famous, therefore it is something that they would want for themselves. We the consumer enable them to continue this kind of business, because we buy the product. Through global media, we the public are becoming more aware of this kind of exploitation of workers. Overall, I think there is no pride to be found in companies that exploit the ir employees at the cost of a better profit for themselves. Awareness is going to be the key to hopefully fix it in the near future.

The Consequences of World War I

The Consequences of World War I World War I was fought on battlefields throughout Europe between 1914 and 1918. It involved human slaughter on a previously unprecedented scale- and its consequences were enormous. The human and structural devastation left Europe and the world greatly changed in almost all facets of life, setting the stage for political convulsions throughout the remainder of the century. A New Great Power Before its entry into World War I, the United States of America was a nation of untapped military potential and growing economic might. But the war changed the United States in two important ways: the countrys military was turned into a large-scale fighting force with the intense experience of modern war, a force that was clearly equal to that of the old Great Powers; and the balance of economic power began to shift from the drained nations of Europe to America. However, the dreadful toll taken by the war led U.S. politicians to retreat from the world and return to a policy of isolationism. That isolation initially limited the impact of Americas growth, which would only truly come to fruition in the aftermath of World War II. This retreat also undermined the League of Nations and the emerging new political order. Socialism Rises to the World Stage The collapse of Russia under the pressure of total warfare allowed socialist revolutionaries to seize power  and turn communism, one of the world’s growing ideologies, into a major European force. While the global socialist revolution that Vladimir Lenin believed was coming never happened, the presence of a huge and potentially powerful communist nation in Europe and Asia changed the balance of world politics. Germanys politics initially tottered toward  joining Russia, but eventually pulled back from experiencing a full Leninist change and formed a new social democracy. This would come under great pressure and fail from the challenge of Germanys right, whereas Russias authoritarian regime after the tsarists lasted for decades. The Collapse of Central and Eastern European Empires The German, Russian, Turkish, and Austro-Hungarian Empires all fought in World War I, and all were swept away by defeat and revolution, although not necessarily in that order. The fall of Turkey in 1922 from a revolution stemming directly from the war, as well as that of Austria-Hungary, was probably not that much of a surprise: Turkey had long been regarded as the sick man of Europe, and vultures had circled its territory for decades. Austria-Hungary appeared close behind. But the fall of the young, powerful, and growing German Empire, after the people revolted and the Kaiser was forced to abdicate, came as a great shock. In their place came a rapidly changing series of new governments, ranging in structure from democratic republics to socialist dictatorships. Nationalism Transforms and Complicates Europe Nationalism had been growing in Europe for decades before World War I began, but the wars aftermath saw a major rise in new nations and independence movements. Part of this was a result of Woodrow Wilson’s isolationist commitment to what he called self-determination. But part of it was also a response to the destabilization of old empires, which nationalists viewed as an opportunity to declare new nations. The key region for European nationalism was Eastern Europe and the Balkans, where Poland, the three Baltic States, Czechoslovakia, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and others emerged. But nationalism conflicted hugely with the ethnic makeup of this region of Europe, where many different nationalities and ethnicities sometimes lived in tension with one another. Eventually, internal conflicts stemming from new self-determination by national majorities arose from disaffected minorities who preferred the rule of neighbors. The Myths of Victory and Failure German commander Erich Ludendorff suffered a mental collapse before he called for an armistice to end the war, and when he recovered and discovered the terms he had signed onto, he insisted Germany refuse them, claiming the army could fight on. But the new civilian government overruled him, as once peace had been established there was no way to keep the army fighting. The civilian leaders who overruled Ludendorff became scapegoats for both the army and Ludendorff himself. Thus began, at the very close of the war, the myth of the undefeated German army being stabbed in the back by liberals, socialists, and Jews who had damaged the Weimar Republic and fueled the rise of Hitler. That myth came directly from Ludendorff setting up the civilians for the fall. Italy didn’t receive as much land as it had been promised in secret agreements, and Italian right-wingers exploited this to complain of a mutilated peace. In contrast, in Britain, the successes of 1918 which had been won partly by their soldiers were increasingly ignored, in favor of viewing the war and all war as a bloody catastrophe. This affected their response to international events in the 1920s and 1930s; arguably, the policy of appeasement was born from the ashes of World War I. The Largest Loss: A Lost Generation While it is not strictly true that a whole generation was lost- and some historians have complained about the term- eight million people died during World War I, which was perhaps one in eight of the combatants. In most of the Great Powers, it was hard to find anyone who had not lost someone to the war. Many other people had been wounded or shell-shocked so badly they killed themselves, and these casualties are not reflected in the figures.

Why Applying to as Many Jobs as Possible can be a Mistake

Why Applying to as Many Jobs as Possible can be a Mistake There are two mistakes when applying for jobs. One is to apply to every job in sight, and the other is to apply for multiple positions within the company. Learning the reasons these are mistakes can keep an individual from wasting time and concentrate on the jobs that the individual really wants. If you do not want to waste time finding the right jobs, you can sign up for the right jobs to be sent to you when they become available. Applying for Multiple Jobs at the Same TimeIndividuals who apply for multiple jobs at the same time on job search sites tend to follow the same pattern. Because they are flooding the job websites with multiple applications, they are not taking the time to individualize job applications to show that they are qualified to fill particular jobs. This is the reason why those who send out multiple applications rarely hear back from recruiters. It is better to take the time to research the company and rework a job application to fit the description of the positio n.Focus on Particular JobsThe purpose of a resume is to sell the talents of a worker to a company. The resume should show that the applicant has the credentials to do a particular job and would be a good fit in the position and with the company. A candidate whose resume is too generic will most likely have his or her resume end up in the bottom of the pile.Be Careful Where You Are ApplyingHiring managers or recruiters may post job ads on multiple sites looking for the right match for a job. One mistake job applicants can make is not noticing that they are applying for the same position with the same company over and over. However, the recruiter does notice and may think that the job applicant is sending out multiple resumes without any discretion.Don’t Apply for Nonexistent JobsSome people make the mistake of applying for jobs at a company where none are available. After sending out possibly hundreds of applications, it should be surprising when no responses are forthcoming. Apply only to real job openings where the company is actively looking to fill a position.Applying for Multiple Jobs at the Same CompanyThis can be a big mistake. Recruiters see the job applications as they come in, and an individual who applies for multiple positions within the same company can come across as desperate and willing to take any job. Applying for jobs in this way can end up with the recruiter noting your desperation on your application file. In other words, this is a good way to never get called in for an interview. Recruiters want individuals who actually want particular jobs because they are more likely to stay in the position.How to Apply for Multiple Jobs at the Same CompanyIf a job seeker has an eye to work for a particular company, there are ways to send multiple application, limited to two or three, and still be considered, but it takes finesse to do so. The size of the company can make a difference. A large company may employ multiple recruiters, and that can i ncrease the odds that the same individual will not spot multiple applications from the same person. In addition, focusing only on jobs that are in the same category and for which an individual is fully qualified can make a difference.Getting Your Name Out ThereBesides letting your friends and coworkers know that you are job hunting, it can also be a good idea to use social media such as Facebook or LinkedIn to promote yourself. Many recruiters now take a look at a job applicant’s LinkedIn profile because it can contain much more job information and history than a resume. No matter what an individual’s field of employment is, using job search sites or a job search service can be enhanced by using social media.Applying for a job and getting a callback for an interview takes dedication and focusing on skills and credentials that apply to particular job descriptions. Just as knowing how to get considered for a job is important, so is using the right means to find that job. TheJobNetwork can help by searching job listings that match your skills and expertise to send you email alerts around the clock that might interest you. All you have to do is fill out your qualifications and job interests and TheJobNetwork does the rest. Sign up with TheJobNetwork and get started now.

Obesity evolved from a private matter to a political issue Essay

Obesity evolved from a private matter to a political issue - Essay Example Also, obesity has been associated with low self-esteem levels, and higher levels of anxiety, depression, and measures associated with impaired quality of life. The debate as to whether the obesity problem is personal or environmental or both will continue as long as the public attention lasts, and the prospect of public policy depends on continuation of publicity of the problem. The complex nature of attribution of responsibility has made it difficult for policy makers to assign blame or develop remedial policies. Even though pressure for action has been growing, the interaction of such factors has made it difficult to predict the future course of policy related to obesity. Policies to address issues surrounding obesity have all failed to pass Congress. Definition of the problem, response from Congress, administrative agencies, courts, and cultural consequences of policy debate is a familiar route for obesity as observed in tobacco and patient’s rights measure. Among all industrial countries, the United States has the highest occurrence of overweight condition, and obesity has become a pandemic problem with over half the population being obese. Diets, eating behaviour and lack of activity have been attributed for the rise of obesity. There has been little examination of the contribution of public policies in agriculture and economics resulting in the current agricultural and food environment. Obesity has been accelerating in the recent decades, suggesting that environmental conditions could be contributing factors in addition to individual eating behaviours and evolving lifestyles (Tillotson, 2004). A study has been conducted to review and understand the relevant history of the issue surrounding the emergence of obesity from a private matter to a political issue. The study has been conducted by review of relevant literature on the matter. The study serves to identify the direction of the issue based on the prevailing debate. Industrialization

Marine Nature Conservation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Marine Nature Conservation - Essay Example As the report declares the consultation proposal seeks to address a number of areas in an attempt to provide a comprehensive framework for marine conservation and providing a situation where the various demands made upon the environment can be managed more effectively as part of a concerted effort to encourage sustainability against a backdrop of the increasing demands that are being made on our seas and its resources. The five areas, which the proposals concentrate upon, are fisheries management, planning, activity licensing, improving marine nature conservation and the setting up of a new marine management organisation. The purpose of this report concentrates the studies on the improvement of marine nature conservation, with reference to the other factors if and where relevant. This essay stresses that there are four main areas where the proposals for the Marine Bill are considering the way forward in terms of the imposition of relevant laws or regulations, with particular relevance to marine nature conservation. The response to the Review of Marine Nature Conservation, Safeguarding Sea Life, identified some key areas that needed to be addressed by government. These included stopping the decline and attacks upon the biodiversity in the environment, in a way that would create recovery of these areas; provide more support for ecosystems and sites for conservation of marine species, especially those most in danger; improve water quality and endeavour to reduce the impact of man’s impact upon it.

Evaluation of a New Curriculum Initiative Essay - 1

Evaluation of a New Curriculum Initiative - Essay Example Description of Initiative: Be sure to clearly identify each heading’s attribute in that section and briefly define it if necessary (e.g., Behaviorism is the psychological foundation behind X, because†¦) Finally, be sure to connect each section to your initiative and include classroom practice whenever possible.†¨ Or be proficient. According to Ornstein and Hunkins (2008), the philosophical and psychological foundations of this initiative have to do with the fact that those in power know there needs to be education reform, but they don’t know what to do (pp. 56). There is a website summarizing the history of No Child Left Behind. It has already been a dismal failure in terms of trying to raise scores, but that is mainly not the issue.   The main issues I take task with, going into the profession of teaching are: a) having a goal of reaching 100% perfection with everyone meeting standards (just not realistic in my view), even by 2014, and b) teaching to the te st, as that does not necessarily show that students have deep understanding of a concept; it only shows you that they can pass a test, if that makes sense.   Assessment class teaches that we have learned that you can assess students in many ways.   But giving students tests, especially high-stakes testing, is limited in that it can only assess certain types of knowledge.   For example, you cant test students reasoning skills very far with giving them multiple choice items on a standardized test other than to know that they gave you the right answer. That doesn't help you very much.   But with a performance assessment of some type, such as an essay question or other assessment where students must create a product or a report of some type (where instructors don't have to "teach to the test"), a lot can be gained about what we call a students "deep understanding" of the material.

Outline presentation+PP presentation slides Essay

Outline presentation+PP presentation slides - Essay Example In the past, electronic cigarette has been seen as a media ploy. However, with technological change, it is possible to develop unique products and services. The E-cigarette is a product of innovation and intelligent product. The amount of money spent on cigarette has been increasing over time due to increasing costs of production. However, with the production of the E-cigarettes have been effective in reducing the cost of cigarette consumption (Malaval and Benaroya 89). The research by the Howie Zee, the average consumption cost reduces over year, and the graph below illustrates the changes in costs after the uptake of the new product. The results are based on the personal consumption rate of one pack per day The graph above illustrates the performance of E-cigarette compared to the tobacco cigarette which has been in use for a long time. However, the establishment of the e – cigarette brand has been poor due to poor investments over the years. Media use has improved the performance of the cigarette for the last decade with the main beneficiary being the Blu brand of E-cigarette. The blue cigarette has been developed with several flavors making it diversified with exceedingly many options. The product comes with seven flavors namely cherry crush, classic tobacco, Java Jolt, Magnificent Menthol, and vivid vanilla. Other flavors are peach schnapps and Pinna Colada. The variety offered makes the products better in providing options in the cigarette industry. The products do not have smoke, ash or smell making them valuable especially when used in public areas. The products contain rechargeable packs and the flavors are presented using cartridges in order to facilitate easy change of flavors (Preston 23). The flavor cartridge has great vapor and come with a single design, and each cartridge is equivalent to one pack of cigarettes. In addition, the company obtains smoke juices, which are manufactured in Wisconsin and the flavors

Women's Clubs as Vehicles for Reform Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women's Clubs as Vehicles for Reform - Assignment Example Betty Chapman an author, a historian, teacher and librarian, clearly shouts out the above mentioned issues in her easy women’s clubs as vehicles for reforms in Houston (Chapman 1885-1918). Women clubs in Houston have done a great deal in turning things around in Houston no matter the race or religion background. She stipulates how laws in Texas had prevented married women from the use of public property earnings in running their businesses. They were not allowed to sign contracts in their own name. Therefore, the Houston women’s clubs were obligated to fight for their rights and be allowed to earn from public property and conduct their businesses. These women’s grievances led to the Houston law reforms to allow women to have access to own their own businesses despite from being married (Chapman 1885-1918). Women’s clubs have led to tremendous reforms in Houston as Betty Chapman depicts and thus she calls them as vehicles for reforms because they have revolutionized how things are done. They have advocated for leadership as well as alimony payments to mention just a few. In conclusion, I do agree with Betty Chapman’s opinion of women’s clubs as vehicles for reforms because of the commitment they have to promote women in development. Without a doubt, women clubs should be advocated in all major states to help fight for the marginalized women and pave a better life for

Outline presentation+PP presentation slides Essay

Outline presentation+PP presentation slides - Essay Example In the past, electronic cigarette has been seen as a media ploy. However, with technological change, it is possible to develop unique products and services. The E-cigarette is a product of innovation and intelligent product. The amount of money spent on cigarette has been increasing over time due to increasing costs of production. However, with the production of the E-cigarettes have been effective in reducing the cost of cigarette consumption (Malaval and Benaroya 89). The research by the Howie Zee, the average consumption cost reduces over year, and the graph below illustrates the changes in costs after the uptake of the new product. The results are based on the personal consumption rate of one pack per day The graph above illustrates the performance of E-cigarette compared to the tobacco cigarette which has been in use for a long time. However, the establishment of the e – cigarette brand has been poor due to poor investments over the years. Media use has improved the performance of the cigarette for the last decade with the main beneficiary being the Blu brand of E-cigarette. The blue cigarette has been developed with several flavors making it diversified with exceedingly many options. The product comes with seven flavors namely cherry crush, classic tobacco, Java Jolt, Magnificent Menthol, and vivid vanilla. Other flavors are peach schnapps and Pinna Colada. The variety offered makes the products better in providing options in the cigarette industry. The products do not have smoke, ash or smell making them valuable especially when used in public areas. The products contain rechargeable packs and the flavors are presented using cartridges in order to facilitate easy change of flavors (Preston 23). The flavor cartridge has great vapor and come with a single design, and each cartridge is equivalent to one pack of cigarettes. In addition, the company obtains smoke juices, which are manufactured in Wisconsin and the flavors

Using a Star Database Schema Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Using a Star Database Schema - Research Paper Example se of a dimensional model is to help decision makers in making strategic decisions without the need of help and support from database experts thereby avoiding extra cost. As a result timely and quality decisions are made. Research by Karen, David and Robert (2006), indicate that denormalization is advocated for in data warehouses as it promotes efficiency of the highest order when queries are run against the warehouse (Karen, David, & Robert, 2006). The concept of dimensional model was developed to cater denormalized data. A star schema model can arguably be referred to as a constrained ERD model. It consists of central entities known as the fact tables that get business event details. Star schema derives its name from the arrangement of the fact tables and dimensional entities forming a star-like arrangement. The representation of this arrangement diagrammatically constitutes the SSD. As a result of this arrangement around a business fact, SSD model is easy to understand. Star schema data model consists of one or more fact tables referencing any given number of dimension tables. There are several benefits of using star schema. First is convenient for simple queries. The star schema simplifies business logic in the realms of reporting. It also provides high level operation performance as a result of simpler queries execution. Lastly star schemas are deployed in most of OLAP systems to make proprietary OLAP cubes efficiently. According to Fig.1, most of the columns if not all in both the dimensions and fact tables are of null value. This means that the primary key is unique and mandatory. Data in the data warehouse comes from various multiple operational databases and therefore in some instances constraints applied in transactional databases need to be loosened. For instance in the star schema diagram in Fig.1, almost all the columns are of null value due to the fact they might lack data. Relationships on the parent sides are not mandatory meaning that there

Role of the Government vs. Private Sector in Paying for the Healthcare Essay Example for Free

Role of the Government vs. Private Sector in Paying for the Healthcare Essay Writing Prompt 1 Table 1: Clinical United States (High Income Country) Somalia (Low Income Country) High life expectancy. Low life expectancy. Low mortality rate. High mortality rate. Low infant mortality rate. High infant mortality rate. Low adult mortality rate. High adult mortality rate. Cause-specific morbidity and mortality (low mortality rate due to communicable, non-communicable, and injury). Cause-specific morbidity and mortality (high mortality rate due to communicable, non-communicable, and injury). Low rate of infectious diseases (Cholera, Malaria, TB). High rate of infectious diseases (Cholera, Malaria, TB). High health service coverage. Low health coverage. Low risk factors. High risk factors. High availability of health systems as regards to physicians, nurses, and hospital beds per 10,000 people. Low availability of health systems as regards to physicians, nurses, and hospital beds per 10,000 people. Median availability of generic medicines in public and private sectors. Median availability of generic medicines in public and private sectors. Median consumer price ration of generic medicines in public and private sectors. Median consumer price ration of generic medicines in public and private sectors. Median age of population = 40 years. Median age of population = 17.5 years. Median age among adults = 55 years. Median age among adults = 30 years. Low literacy level. High literacy level. High gross national income per capita of $50, 120. Low gross national income per capita of $150. Little part of population living on $1 and below a day. Large part of population living on $1 and below a day. Table 2: Sources Expected years of life at birth. Categories of national health expenditure. 80 years in the United States and 51.19 years in Somalia. $2.7 trillion or $9,000 per person in the United States and $2 per person in Somalia. Role of the Government vs. Private Sector in Paying for the Healthcare From the data available in the table, it is evident that the role of the Government apropos the provision of healthcare to the citizens of the United States is a high compared to the same services in Somalia. That is, the public sector has a high responsibility to ensure payment and subsidizing of hospital bills for its citizens. National health systems of these two countries differ significantly because of public and private sectors involved in the health docket. The Government of the United States plays greater role in healthcare services starting from the provision of healthcare facilities to making relatively cheaper and available healthcare services and providing health insurance cover to all public employees. Andersen, Rice, Kominski (2011) assert that the Government also provides healthcare payments through Medicare and Medicaid to its citizens without favors. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of the US enables treatment of patients, who need emergency trea tment by availing funds that cover the costs incurred in such instances. Public sector is the backbone of the United States as an independent country whose values and principles are well established to ensure maximum social  advantage. Private sector also plays a greater role in paying for healthcare compared to the public sector in the United States. On the other hand, both private and public sectors play minor roles in paying for healthcare services and facilities. This is mainly because of the fact that Somali’s government is not politically stable, and this also hampers private investors, which translates to government’s and private sector’s minor role in paying for the healthcare of its citizens. Unlike in Somalia, there is quality service assurance in many healthcare centers in the US, which ensures that proper healthcare procedures provided for the welfare of United States’ citizens. Besides, Capobianco Naidu (2008) opine that Somalia is a poorly developed country, whose healthcare development heavily depends on inter national aids to support the country. The World Health Organization reports that Somalia has high mortality rate with low life expectancy compared to the United States, which is a much more developed nation in the globe. Data also unveils that health system physicians allocated per ten thousand people is reasonably good due to higher literacy level in the United States compared to Somalia. Here, both private and public sectors play a bigger role, whereby the public sector provides enough support to a private sector in various ways. This also explains why there are enough hospital beds available to accommodate a bigger number of patients. The Government of the United States through its intervention ventures into necessary expenses ensures that enough healthcare facilities, such as clinics, are set up in various communities and centers in a bid to reduce the risk of running into shortages. In addition, the Government of the United States in collaboration with the private sector has inexorably endeavored to support one another to pay for the healthcare and improve services in all states. Burden of Illness and Other Health Indices The United States is one of the most developed countries in the world, which means that the country has the potency to provide healthcare facilities and highly competitive healthcare services to its citizens without feeling the pinch. The country has well-developed heath care units that range from clinics that are set up in almost every corner to large hospitals with  relevant and enough healthcare equipment and tools to meet the demand when it arises. In addition, unlike in Somalia, the United States has various research centers that are involved in everyday research in a bid to find medical solutions to everyday problems as far as diseases are concerned. These very research institutes have enough facilities and expertise to undertake numerous studies and develop solutions to various problems. Barton (2010) reiterates that the burden of illness in the United States is not evident due to the high investment in countrys healthcare sector. Various health indices depict the United Sta tes as a nation that can comfortably and without strain provide some free healthcare services and other subsidized services to its citizens. This is however not the case in Somalia due to lack of such institutions and disparity in healthcare service delivery. There are incredibly few healthcare centers in the country, and those few that are available cannot fully serve the whole population. Low mortality rate both among children and among adults, which translates into high life expectancy in the United States, clearly depicts that the burden of illness is insignificant. This is unlike in Somalia where the opposite is true. That is, life expectancy in the United States is 80 years, while it is only 51 years in Somalia. Besides, there is high health coverage in terms of provision of healthcare services that covers almost all diseases that cannot be easily treated in Somalia due to lack of expertise and facilities at the few available healthcare centers in the country. There are more risk factors leading to high mortality rate in Somalia compared with the United States due to poor implementation of policies regarding stepping up health facilities and prevention measures to reduce the number of deaths among the Somali populace. Relationship b etween Payment System and Health Burden There exists a nexus between the payment system and the health burden evident in each of the two countries. That is, the health burden directly related to the payment system of these two nations in the sense that there is a bigger health burden in Somalia due to poor payment system implemented. This significantly contributes to a heavy health burden experience in this country. High mortality rate both among adults and among children as well as low life expectancy coupled with low income per capita and low illiteracy  levels in Somalia are indicators of a huge health burden among country’s populace. According to Capobianco Naidu (2008), poor development in infrastructure and in relevant sectors have utterly crippled countrys potency to provide proper medical care to its citizens despite the availability of resources. Insecurity has also been among the top reasons hampering private investors from setting up for-profit healthcare facilities both in urban and rural areas due to physicians’ fear of loss of their dear lives. Most healthcare practitioners fear for their lives and do not want to work in an insecure environment despite the escalating health issues that are rampant in the nation. On the other hand, developed US also shows pure connection between the existing payment system and the negligible health burden. That is, country is well established healthcare sector has a momentous impact on the insignificant health burden. The Government’s role in the healthcare sector in collaboration with the largely operated private healthcare centers in the country contributed to the reduced health burden due to the efficient payment system. There are also many private healthcare centers, which create stiff competition among themselves, which leads to reduced healthcare prices paid by individuals in a bid to access the services. References Andersen, R. M., Rice, T. H., Kominski, G. F. (2011). Changing the U.S. health care system: Key issues in health services policy and management. New York: John Wiley Sons. Barton, P. L. (2010). Understanding the U.S. health services system. New York: Health Administration Press. Capobianco, E., Naidu, V. (2008). A review of health sector aid financing to Somalia. Washington D.C: World Bank Publications.

An Analysis on the Definition of motivation

An Analysis on the Definition of motivation The term motivation is derived from the Latin word for movement (movere), means to move, push or persuade to act for satisfying a need (Butkus Green, 1999) . Atkinson (1964) defines motivation as the contemporary influence on direction, vigor, and persistence of action whereas Vroom (1964) defines it as a process governing choice made by personsamong alternative forms of voluntary activity. Additionally, motivation is concerned with the factors that influence people to behave in certain ways. The three components of motivation as listed by Arnold et al (1991) are: direction what a person is trying to do; effort how hard a person is trying persistence how long a person keeps on trying. Moreover, motivation is also defined as a set of interrelated beliefs and emotions that influence and direct behavior (Wentzel, 1999; see also Green, Martin, Marsh, 2007; Martin, 2007, 2008a, 2008b, in press). They propose that relationships affect achievement motivation by directly influencing motivations constituent beliefs and emotions. Allport (1954) referred past actions that led to positive outcomes would tend to be repeated, whereas past actions that led to negative outcomes would tend to diminish. Skinner (1953) and others argued that, over time, individuals learn contingent relationships between actions and their consequences and that these contingencies guide future behavior. Reinforcement models continue to thrive today as explanatory vehicles for understanding work motivation and job performance, as well as in the workplace in various performance management programs (Komaki, 2003). 2.1 TYPES OF MOTIVATION Motivation at work can take place in two ways. First, people can motivate themselves by seeking, finding and carrying out work that satisfies their needs or leads them to expect that their goals will be achieved. Secondly, people can be motivated by management through such methods as pay, praise, etc. There are two types of motivation as originally identified by Herzberg et al (1957): 2.1.1 Intrinsic motivation the self-generated factors that influence people to behave in a particular way. These factors include responsibility, autonomy, scope to use and develop skills and abilities, interesting and challenging work and opportunities for advancement. Intrinsic motivation as a predictor of performance is strongly supported by research in sports (Callahan et al., 2003 ) and educational settings (Lin et al.,2003; Vansteenkiste et al.,2004; Wang and Guthrie, 2004). Moreover, a few studies have found a positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and work performance in work organizations cited by Gagne and Deci (2005). 2.1.2 Extrinsic motivation what is done to or for people to motivate them? This includes rewards, such as increased pay, praise, or promotion, and punishments, such as disciplinary action, withholding pay, or criticism. Extrinsic motivators can have an immediate and powerful effect, but it will not necessarily last long. 2.2 Evolution of motivation By the 1950s, several new models of work motivation emerged, which collectively have been referred to as content theories, since their principal aim was to identify factors associated with motivation which includes Maslows (1954) Needs theory, which suggests that, as individuals develop, they work their way up a hierarchy based on the fulfillment of a series of prioritized needs, including physiological, safety and security, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. Alderfer (1972) later adapted this model to encompass just three needs: existence, relatedness, and growth. A second need theory of the same era, first introduced by Murray (1938) but more fully developed by McClelland (1961, 1971), ignored the concept of a hierarchy and focused instead on the motivational potency of an array of distinct and clearly defined needs, including achievement, affiliation, power, and autonomy. McClelland argued that, at any given time, individuals possess several often competing needs that serve to motivate behavior when activated. This contrasts with Maslows notion of a steady progression over time up a hypothetical hierarchy as individuals grow and mature. Herzberg (1966; Herzberg, Mausner, Snyderman, 1959) sought to understand how work activities and the nature of ones job influence motivation and performance. In his motivation-hygiene theory, Herzberg argued that work motivation is largely influenced by the extent to which a job is intrinsically challenging and provides opportunities for recognition and reinforcement. Herzberg saw the context surrounding a job (hygiene factors) as being far more temporal in terms of leading to satisfaction and future motivation. Herzberg deserves credit for introducing the field to the role of job design as a key factor in work motivation and job attitudes. In subsequent work, Hackman and Oldham (1976) and others have extended this line of research as it relates to work design, motivation, and job performance, while others, including Deci (1975; Ryan Deci, 2000), have articulated theories focusing specifically on task based intrinsic versus extrinsic factors in motivation (e.g. self-determination theory). 2.3 Models of motivation There are four well-established models of motivation: (1) the rational-economic; (2) the social; (3) the self-actualizing; and (4) the complex models. The first three of these can be regarded as content models of motivation. Content theories of motivation try to explain the factors within persons which motivate them. The complex model introduces some aspects of the process theory of motivation. 2.3.1 The rational-economic model This suggests that people are motivated primarily by economic self-interest, and will act to maximize their own financial and material rewards (F.W Taylor, 1947). Peoples motivation then can be controlled largely by offering or withholding financial rewards. Underlying this model are the assumptions that people are passive, are inclined to assert less rather than more effort, are unwilling to take responsibility, and are interested in work for what they can get out of it financially. 2.3.2 The social model The work of Elton Mayo is famously known as Hawthorne Experiments. This model can be summarized in the following terms (Mayo, 1975): People at work are motivated primarily by social needs, such as the need for friendship and acceptance, and their sense of identity is formed through relationships with other people. As a result of increased mechanization and rationalization, work has lost some of its meaning, and people increasingly seek meaning in social relationships at work. People are more responsive to the pressures of their peer groups at work than to management controls and incentives. People respond when management meets their needs for belonging, acceptance and sense of identity. 2.3.3 The self-actualizing model Maslow (1970) developed the idea of self-actualization needs. According to him self-actualization is the need a person has to fulfil his or her capabilities and potential. The model further indicates that the following motivate people: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Human needs fall into a hierarchy from the most basic physiological needs to needs for self-actualization (Maslow, 1970). As the basic needs are met, energy is released for the satisfaction of higher needs. Everyone seeks a sense of meaning and accomplishment in their work (see Figure 1). Findikci (2006) stated that an individuals level of motivation is dependent on the material and social benefits he/she gains from the institution they work in. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Individuals like to exercise autonomy and independence and to develop skills. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People are primarily self-motivated and self-controlled. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢There is no inherent conflict between self-actualization and more effective organizational performance. People are happy to integrate their goals with those of the organization. Figure 1 Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Source: Abraham H. Maslow Towards a Psychology of Being, D. Van Nostrand Company, 1968 2.3.4 The complex model Schein (1980) argues that the problem with each of the preceding models of human behaviour is their claim to universality and generality. Schein, instead, sees human nature as complex, with human needs and motivations varying according to the different circumstances people face, their life experience, expectations and age. People are motivated to work when they believe that they can get what they want from their jobs. This might include the satisfaction of safety needs, the excitement of doing challenging work, or the ability to set and achieve goals. Schein also introduces the concept of a psychological contract which is essentially a set of expectations on both sides and where a match is important if efforts to improve motivation are likely to be effective. 2.4 Cognitive theory On the other hand, perhaps best known of the cognitive theories is expectancy theory. Expectancy theory derives from the early work of Lewin (1938) and Tolman (1959), who saw behavior as purposeful, goal directed, and largely based on conscious intentions. Vroom (1964) presented the first systematic formulation of expectancy theory as it related to the workplace. He argued that employees tend to rationally evaluate various on-the-job work behaviors (e.g., working harder) and then choose those behaviors they believe will lead to their most valued work-related rewards and outcomes (e.g., a promotion). On the other hand, Porter and Lawler (1968) expanded Vrooms initial work to recognize the role of individual differences (e.g., employee abilities and skills) and role clarity in linking job effort to actual job performance. They also clarified the relationship between performance and subsequent satisfaction, arguing that this relationship is mediated by the extent and quality of the rewards employees receive in exchange for good job performance. That is, if superior performance in the past failed to lead to superior rewards, future employee effort may suffer as incentives and the reward system lose credibility in the employees eyes. Since its initial publication, a number of scholars have worked to extend or further refine the basic cognitive expectancy framework to reflect emerging research findings and new theoretical developments (e.g., Kanfer, 1990; Mitchell, 1997). For example, expectancy theory has been used to study forms of work behavior other than job performance, including employee absenteeism, turnover, and organizational citizenship behavior (Mobley, 1977; Mowday, Porter, Steers, 1982; Organ, 1988; Porter Steers, 1973; Steers Rhodes, 1978). Researchers have also linked group expectations and social influences to individual work motivation decisions (Porter, Lawler, Hackman, 1975). Finally, basic expectancy principles have been incorporated into several emerging models of cross-cultural influences on work motivation and job performance (Bhagat McQuaid, 1982; Earley, 1997; Steers Sanchez-Runde, 2001; Triandis, 1995). In addition to expectancy theory, another cognitive theory of work motivation has been the Equity theory. Adams (1963) introduced equity theory to explain how employees respond both cognitively and behaviorally to perceived unfairness in the workplace (Mowday Colwell, 2003, and Weick, Bougon, Maruyama, 1976). Stajkovic and Luthans (1998, 2003) found considerable support for the role of self-efficacy in determining work-related performance, particularly as moderated by task complexity and locus of control. 2.5 Frederick Herzbergs motivation-hygiene theory: Herzberg et al. (1957) argued that satis ¬Ã‚ ers or motivators are closely related to self-actualization needs. Motivators include the work itself, recognition, advancement and responsibility. Motivators are intrinsic factors directly related to the job and largely internal to the individual. Dissatis ¬Ã‚ ers or hygiene factors relate to Maslows lower level needs. These include company policy and administration, salary, working conditions and interpersonal relations. Hygienes are extrinsic factors, which the organization largely determines and improvement in these dissatis ¬Ã‚ ers would remove dissatisfaction, but would not elicit positive motivation. Positive motivation comes only from accomplishing a meaningful and challenging task. Herzberg devised his theory on the question: What do people want from their jobs? Later, he concluded that opposite of satisfaction is not dissatisfaction. Removing dissatisfying characteristics from a job does not necessarily make the job satisfying. He states that presence of certain factors in the organization is natural and the presence of the same does not lead to motivation. However, their non presence leads to demotivation. In similar manner there are certain factors, the absence of which causes no dissatisfaction, but their presence has motivational impact. Hertzbergs study is recognized to have some limitations. The results obtained from his study by professional workers may not be applicable to all groups. Moreover, he uses satisfaction and motivation as interchangeable, and there is an embedded assumption that increased satisfaction leads to increased motivation and this is not always the case. Nevertheless, the distinction between satis ¬Ã‚ ers and dissatis ¬Ã‚ ers is useful, and the recognition that some factors contribute to positive motivation while others can only minimize dissatisfaction is important. 2.5.1 Reservations about Herzbergs theory Herzbergs two-factor model has been criticized because no attempt was made to measure the relationship between satisfaction and performance. The Herzberg theory continues to thrive; partly because for the layman it is easy to understand and seems to be based on real-life rather than academic abstraction, and partly because it fits in well with the highly respected ideas of Maslow (1954) and McGregor (1960) in its emphasis on the positive value of the intrinsic motivating factors. 2.6 Financial rewards Lecturers are appointed to a single salary scale. Their position on that scale is determined by their qualifications and experience, and possibly previous salary, at the time of their appointment. Progression through the scale is by annual increments. In some institutions additional increments may be awarded for special achievements. In some subject areas, notably the professional disciplines, it is possible for academic staff to earn additional income by participation in external, income-generating activities, but arrangements surrounding these opportunities vary between institutions. Deeprose (1994) examined that the effective reward system improve employee motivation and increases employee productivity which contribute to better enhanced organizational performance. 2.7 The culture of teaching and higher education Higher education is by culture a developmental environment. All staff have a signi ¬Ã‚ cant role as lecturers, and are subject to the person-to-person pressure to perform that is inherent in this contact. Most staff gain gratification from working with students and witnessing the achievement and development of those students. This is associated with having a professional pride in their work. It is important for them to be accepted by the students when they work as a leader and facilitator. Frustration may develop from dissatis ¬Ã‚ ers which prevent lecturers from doing a good job towards quality education, including poor timetable organization, inadequate maintenance of educational equipment, or too many assorted demands on their time. A key task of the teacher is to ensure the motivation of students (Deniz et al., 2006). Once achieved this links directly to the teachers own motivation level. 2.8 Diversity of lecturer experience and roles It is easy to view the lecturer in higher education as a body, and to seek to introduce motivation and rewards for the body as a whole. It is important to recognize that lecturers are motivated by different factors, depending on their length of service in higher education, their other work experience, their age, their aspirations with respect to career development and the relative priorities which they attach to achievement and social factors, such as their personal life and being accepted as a team member. 2.9 Strategies for motivation In an environment where there is already a strong culture of quality education, strategies of motivation to support self actualization and growth are strong contenders. These include the following: 2.9.1 Opportunities for personal development It includes: experience in teaching different groups of students; visiting students on work placement; research and publishing activities; consultancy; study for higher degrees; attendance at conferences and workshops; management/team leadership experience; training in teaching and/or management skills. 2.9.2 Managing dissatis ¬Ã‚ ers The manager has a signi ¬Ã‚ cant role in eliminating or reducing dissatis ¬Ã‚ ers. This is often achieved through negotiation and allocation of resources. This must clearly be achieved within organizational constraints, and where it is not possible to modify the dissatis ¬Ã‚ ers, managers should seek to eliminate their effects and communicate the constraints. For example, currently all funding to higher education institutions is based on student numbers. Lecturers need to appreciate that staf ¬Ã‚ ng resources in speci ¬Ã‚ c subject areas are determined by such criteria and not by the number of teaching or contact hours. Communication is necessary to ensure that staff expectations change with the changes in the environment. 2.9.3 The  ¬Ã‚ nancial dimension The usual strategies for  ¬Ã‚ nancial motivation are performance-related pay and promotion. Such strategies are not usually within the control of the individual head of department and will be controlled by institutional norms and Funding Council initiatives. Thus, when the opportunity arises, these strategies can be used by the individual manager to encourage motivation, but their intermittent and uncontrollable nature presents a lot of problems. 2.10 Motivation through Rewards Managers have found that rewards play a significant role in motivating employees to work harder and longer. This section, therefore, attempts to identify the numerous types for rewards that can be administered by managers. There are two types of rewards: Extrinsic and Intrinsic. Extrinsic rewards are external outcomes granted to someone by others, such as money, employee benefits, promotions, recognition, status symbols, and praise. In other words, this kind of reward is provided by another person or by organizational system to individuals. In contrast, intrinsic reward derives internally from individuals and can be experienced through their work, such as the feelings of competency, sense of accomplishment, personal development and self-esteem. The importance of being self-administered offers great advantages and power of motivating from within. Training and development Training is the systematic modification of behavior through learning which occurs as a result of education, instruction, development and planned experience. Gong et al.(1998) stated that quality starts and improves with training. Hence, training acts as an intrinsic motivator, develops the competences of employees and improves their performance. Garvin (1987) examined the impact of training on performance and found that in manufacturing units, quality oriented and job-specific training helps to achieve higher levels of quality in outputs and productivity. 2.11 Definition of Quality Education Despite the prominence of quality as the motivating factor for educational planning, approaches to quality can vary widely. In fact, quality is mostly used in a detached way, assuming consensus both on what the term means and on the desirability of the various educational aims and approaches promoted under the banner of quality. Whether explicit or implicit, a vision of educational quality is always embedded within countries policies and programs. The term quality is derived from the latin word qualitas, which means the degree of excellence of a thing (Oxford Dictionary, 2003). Article 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that States are requested to recognize that education should be directed at developing the childs personality and talents, preparing the child for active life as an adult, fostering respect for basic human rights and developing respect for the childs own cultural and national values and those of others (United Nations, 1989). Therefore, everyone has the right not only to receive education, but also to receive education of high quality. Quality of education has been described as the success with which an institution provides educational environments which enable students effectively to achieve worthwhile learning goals including appropriate academic standards (Gordon and Partington, 1993). Nightingale and ONeil (1994) suggest that in looking for a meaningful definition of quality in learning among higher education, education should be looked as a transformative process involving a change in roles of the student and the teacher, and geared to an assumption of quality being part of a continuous improvement process. Teaching Experience other studies of the effects of teacher on student learning have found a relationship between teachers effectiveness and their years of experience (Hammond, 2000). 2.12 Visions of quality for education Harvey (1995) provides a useful framework for thinking about quality by outlining five goals for education that define the vision of quality within individual systems. Education systems vary in emphasizing a single vision or, more commonly, a mixture of the five goals: Education quality as exceptionality Education quality as consistency Education quality as fitness-for-purpose Education quality as value for money Education quality as transformative potential (Kubow and Fossum 2003). 2.13 Approaches to quality education The 2005 EFA Monitoring Report: The Quality Imperative points out that agreement about the objectives and aims of education will frame any discussion of quality and that such agreement embodies moral, political, and epistemological issues that are frequently invisible or ignored (UNESCO 2004, p. 37). The report further emphasizes that different notions of quality are associated with different educational traditions and approaches: 2.13.1 The humanist approach It is one of the precursors of constructivism, focuses on learners constructing their own meanings and integrating theory and practice as a basis for social action. Quality within this tradition is interpreted as the extent to which learners translate learning into social action. 2.13.2 The behaviorist approach It means heading in another direction and assumes that students must be led and their behavior controlled to specific ends, with quality measured in precise, incremental learning terms. 2.13.3 Critical approaches On the other hand, focus on inequality in access to and outcomes of education and on educations role in legitimising and reproducing existing social structures. Quality education within this tradition is seen as prompting social change, encouraging critical analysis of social power relations, and ensuring that learners participate actively in the design of their learning experience. 2.13.4 Indigenous approaches This approach to quality reject mainstream education imported from the centers of power, assure relevance to local content, and include the knowledge of the whole community (UNESCO 2004, pp. 32-35). Whatever the broader vision of quality, most countries policies define two key elements as the basis of quality: students cognitive development and social/creative/ emotional development. (UNESCO 2004, p.29). Sculleys (1988) prediction about the global renaissance of higher education is reassuring since he sees every person and every culture, as well as every countrys educational institutions, having much to teach and much to learn. 2.14 Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education The quality assurance in tertiary education has been described by Bogue and Saunders (1992) as a process and practice primarily concerned with conformance to mission speci ¬Ã‚ cations and goal achievement within the publicly accepted standards of accountability and integrity. Frazer (1992), who has classi ¬Ã‚ ed prevailing quality assurance systems, on the basis of their ownership and funding, into university-owned, governmental and non-governmental systems, adopted another approach. From this perspective, ownership is seen to in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence the level of institutional autonomy fostered, the value placed on academic freedom, the extent of external political control and the extent of faculty commitment to the quality assurance systems (Gaither, 1998). Tertiary institutions are not unlike other organisations. They rely on quality of service to their customers, i.e. students, in order to remain competitive. Quality in tertiary education is not interested only in tangibles such as lecture venues, course materials and the like. It is also heavily dependent on the institutions human resources to provide a good service to its customers (Yeo, 2009). Acosta (2000) states that university teaching usually takes the form of one of three methods: the lecture; tutorial work; and practical and projects. In order to stimulate involvement in class discussions some lecturers employ formal mechanisms for grading participation (Maznevski, 1996). However, lecturers should explain to students the value of engaging in a brainstorming phase as a stepping stone towards class discussion. Chong and Farago (1999) claimed that visual images are idea catalysts for discussion in the multicultural classroom and hence a key element in the transformation process toward inclusive instruction, thus making an effort to search for relevant video-clips to be shown during workshops, tools which are very powerful in triggering class debates. High-quality interaction and active participation, however, cannot be achieved through good intentions, or mere administrative decree, alone. Good relationships among students and a good rapport between the students and the lecturer are a conditio sine qua non to creating an environment of comfort, trust and mutual respect, in which open discussion, exchange and examination of ideas, as well as active participation are not inhibited by fear (Billingsley, 1999). Tompson and Tompson (1996) observed, the idea that of without trusting relationships learning is stunted  ¬Ã‚ nds theoretical support in Maslows model of hierarchy of needs, according to which individuals are unlikely to engage in self-actualization activities, such as challenging intellectual debates and discussions, unless security, social and esteem needs have already been satisfied. They also suggested a number of strategies such as ice-breaking activities, clear communication, non-threatening atmosphere etc aimed at facilitating students adjustment and social integration and hence at fostering trusting relationships across differences. 2.16 Learning and teaching styles When considering the quality of teaching in higher education, one needs to resist the temptation of seeking simplistic and single dimensional classifications, rankings and explanations. The notion of quality is not a simple one; rather it is problematic, contested and multidimensional and requires examination at institutional, departmental and individual levels (Elton, 1998). It has been argued that many of the factors contributing to high quality education are related to particular teaching and learning styles. The empirical work of Lammers and Murphy (2002), who studied the delivery of sessions in a range of academic disciplines in a US university, indicated that lecturers had a role in giving information. Effective higher education involves the appropriate blend of physical factors such as the course characteristics and classroom arrangement and instructor factors such as enthusiasm, expertise and teaching style. Many students usually value lecturers who are encouraging, constructive and positive and transmit enthusiasm for their subject. Other key style factors which are crucial to the complex interactions of higher education are considered to be democratic participation and transformative, collaborative and critical learning that values and encourages diversity (DAndrea and Gosling, 2001). 2.17 The student/ lecturer relationship Andreson (2000) emphasises on the importance of interactions and stresses that students engagement with the subject and the passion and enthusiasm conveyed to them by lecturers. This passion and enthusiasm helps to demonstrate to students that the lecturer cares about them and that there is concern about their intellectual growth. However, there are worries amongst many academics that the increase in student numbers in higher education (Gibbs, 2001), with the consequent greater use of e-learning and resource-based learning, will adversely affect the student/lecturer relationship. This is because it is considered to be far more difficult to impart enthusiasm and passion through a computer programme than it is with face-to-face contact (Nixon et al., 1998). Andreson (2000) and Nixon et al. (1998) also argue that the nexus between teaching and research is highly influential. Research provides an added dimension to teaching and allows the development of a collaborative relationship between lecturer and students within a learning community. In such a community the subject is therefore more likely to be accessible and transparent to the student. Hill and MacGregor (1998) similarly found that students are greatly supported by those lecturers who are an integral part of their learning experiences and who actively collaborate in the learning process. The importance of lecturer/student interaction and how students welcome lecturers who are easy to be with and who help them to learn is essential. Morton-Cooper and Palmer (1993) argue that students particularly value traits of responsiveness and trustworthiness in their lecturers. On the other hand, Rowland et al. (1998) reject the notion of an automatic synergistic relationship between teaching and research, arguing that they do not necessarily complement each other. They identified a reconceptualisation of the role of academic staff with an increasing separation of research and teaching. This has been largely due to differential funding and an emphasis on research and teaching as two distinct and unrelated functions. This dichotomy has developed through the financial imperative of achieving the highest possible research assessment exercise scores and, contrarily the exhortations of staff development and education development units for staff to improve their teaching skills. Elton (1998) regards high teaching quality as quite essential to excellence in higher education. He argues that there has to be change in attitudes amongst certain academics who believe that their main task is to profess their discipline. Such academics consider

James Thurbers The Secret Life of Walter Mitty :: Secret Life Walter Mitty Essays

James Thurber's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty In James Thurber's wonderful short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", I get the feeling that he may be a victim of Attention Deficit Disorder, rather than just being a daydreamer. Throughout the story, Walter changes personae several times. He flips back and forth between reality and fantasy so much he may have a problem with his attention span. Walter needs Mrs. Mitty to keep him on track. By being a daydreamer, his head is in the clouds and this irritates her. She Reminds him to get "those overshoes while I'm having my hair done." (88) She has to nudge and prod him to actually get the pair of overshoes. Normally, this shouldn't be a problem, but with Walter, She has to double check that he bought them. Consider him having been diagnosed with A.D.D., his wife would then be a little better at understanding him when he goes off on one of his "spells." For example, him buying the overshoes, but not wearing them in the slushy weather. Mrs. Mitty should take a little more active role with his condition. She would go with him to the store to pick up his overshoes so that she knows it was taken care of properly. The weekly trips into town are somewhat of a disaster each time. once, he had tried to take the chains of of his tires and they got them "wound around the axle" and had to have a man come from a garage to unwind them. Mrs. Mitty leaves Walter on his own so that he can run errands, while she goes to the beauty parlor to get her hair done. Because of his daydreaming, he ends up loosing himself in a court battle in his head. How can anyone expect to remember to buy puppy biscuits with something like that happening? A.D.D. is not something to be treated lightly. instead of going to the beauty parlor, Mrs. Mitty should go with Walter to help him stay on track with his errands. By running their weekly errands together, Mrs. Mitty would come to better realize the problems that Walter faces on a daily basis. This would also help to alleviate some of the troubles that they have had in the past to make future trips more tolerable. Does Walter have a problem? Yes, he does. Whether it is being a day dreamer or someone afflicted with A.